Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 08/10 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 18. April – 03. Mai 2010 1. Palästinensisch-israelischer Friedensprozess Nachdem Friedensverhandlungen zwischen Israel und den Palästinensern lange ausgesetzt worden waren, ist Anfang Mai die Wiederaufnahme von indirekten Gesprächen unter amerikanischer Ägide angekündigt worden. Während die Arabische Liga erneute Friedens­gespräche begrüßte, warnte die palästinensische Führung, sie werde sich nicht auf direkte Ver­handlungen einlassen, solange es keinen kom­pletten Baustopp in den jüdischen Siedlungen gebe. Premierminister Benjamin Netanyahu hatte zuvor sein Einverständnis zu einem palästinen­sischen Staat mit vorläufigen Grenzen angedeutet, wenn gleichzeitig Verhandlungen über den end­gültigen Status von Jerusalem aufgeschoben würden. Der palästinensische Präsident Mahmoud Abbas lehnte ein solches Vorgehen jedoch als Versuch, vorläufige Grenzen permanent zu machen, ab. Premierminister Salam Fayyad hatte bereits vor Monaten die Ausrufung eines palästinensischen Staates für 2011 angekündigt, sollte es bis dahin keine Fortschritte in den Friedensgesprächen gegeben haben. Time to initiate “American envoy George Mitchell is in the region for his latest round of shuttle diplomacy between Jerusalem and Ramallah in an effort to renew diplomatic negotiations.[…] If the diplomatic process does not produce an agreement, the Palestinians are threatening to unilaterally declare independence next summer.[…] The steps taken by the government thus far, all of them the result of American pressure, are apparently being used as pretexts aimed at perpetuating the status quo in the territories[…]. It appears that Netanyahu views the diplomatic process as an Israeli gesture toward the Americans, and not as an attempt at compromise with the Palestinians. The time has come for the government to stop procrastinating.[…] It must present a diplomatic initiative that will advance a peace agreement with the Palestinians.[…] Netanyahu needs to take the initiative, even if it necessitates dismantling his rightist coalition and bringing Kadima into the government.” HAA Editorial 25.04.10 Obama gets it wrong “Paradoxically, ever since US President Barak Obama entered the White House, the Palestinians are the ones refusing to renew negotiations with Israel while presenting pre-conditions. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu is the one seeking to resume the talks. However, the image created in the world, among other things because of Obama’s flawed and failed policy, is that Israel alone is responsible for the impasse[…]. Yet isn’t there a split among the Palestinians? Isn’t Hamas maintaining a rule of terror in Gaza? There are no Iran and no Syria and no weak Palestinian government whose interest in negotiations and an agreement is doubtful?[…] The Obama Administration is pressing Israel, and only Israel, and will continue to do so until negotiations get underway. Obama is not exerting the necessary parallel pressure on the Palestinians because he has no tools for doing so. The Palestinians wholly disregard Obama and expect him to do all the work for them and elicit unilateral concessions out of Israel.” Eytan Gilboa, JED 28.04.10 From bad to worse “In Jerusalem[…] the[…] adamant conviction is that the[American] administration is mistaken in its approach to Palestinian peacemaking[…]. The Netanyahu leadership believes that the massive concession of freezing all building in east Jerusalem 1